For all Novell Suse Linux and SAP on Suse Linux questions releated to OS and BI solutions. And offcourse also for the great RedHat products like RedHat Enterprise Server and JBoss middelware and BI on RedHat.

17 December 2012

What is server virtualization?

Server virtualization is a proven technology that enables multiple virtual machines to run on a single physical server. Each virtual machine is completely isolated from other machines and is decoupled from the underlying host by a thin layer of software known as a hypervisor. This allows each virtual machine to run different operating systems and applications. Because the machines have been decoupled from the underlying host, the guest can also be moved from one physical server host to another while running, this is known as live migration. These attributes are transforming how organizations approach virtual computing.

The best choice for server virtualization and datacenter automation

XenServer is the enterprise-ready, cloud-proven virtualization platform that contains all the capabilities required to create and manage a virtual infrastructure. It is trusted by demanding organizations to run the most mission critical applications and used by the largest clouds. Start building your virtual infrastructure with free server virtualization software from Citrix or consolidate any size organization with the premium edition.

Cuts energy costs. By reducing the number of physical servers required in the datacenter, organizations are able to save on their power and cooling costs.Increases IT agility and efficiency. Customers can easily adapt to changing datacenter and computing needs by dynamically flexing capacity, optimizing VM placement, and automating repetitive management tasks.Improves performance and user productivity. By enabling 'zero downtime' maintenance, automatically recovering from hardware failure, and providing failover capabilities in disaster situations, end users are ensured access to mission critical application in all scenarios.

Versatile open-source virtualization

From managing infrastructure to optimizing on-going IT operations, and from automating key processes through to delivering IT services, XenServer has the capabilities that fit any organizations IT requirements and enable businesses to transform their datacenters into IT delivery centers.

Get a complete virtual infrastructure including a 64-bit hypervisor with live migration. Features include a centralized management console for virtual machines and hosts and a full complement of tools to get virtual environments up and running quickly.
Learn more

Improved security, flexibility and TCO with XenServer 6.1

Citrix XenServer is a complete, enterprise-class virtualization platform with all the capabilities needed to create and manage a virtual infrastructure for servers, desktops and clouds. A full suite of virtualization tools delivers cost savings throughout your datacenter with improved flexibility and reliability to provide high performance support for your business. The new server virtualization features improve datacenter consolidation and simplify the path to cloud computing with advanced virtual machine migration, enhanced networking and security, increased vendor compatibility and automated virtual machine conversion tools.

Why you should invest first what your requirements are for a Web Content Management System can be seen in the videos below and the needs you have for day to day use for your company are deciding factors in your choice of what the best system is for you.

There are several systems for Web Content Management (WCM), like Drupal, Joomla, Wordpress, Sharepoint (Microsofts WCM), and of-course Redhat's JBoss, but this blog is about IBM WebSphere and Oracle Web Center.

Oracle

First of all we deal with Oracle Web Center. Oracle Web Center is part of the Fusion Middleware Stack from the Oracle Software stack:

The components of Oracle Web Center are:

Some of the capabilities of Oracle Web Center can be seen in the videos below.

Oracle WebCentre:

Introduction to Developing with Oracle WebCenter:

For a test Drive of Oracle Web Center you can view information about a test drive here:

IBM

IBM WebSphere Portal is a powerful solution for delivering engaging web content and applications in an integrated, differentiated and personalized web experience.

WebSphere Portal supports workflows, content management, social, mobile web delivery, simplified usability and administration, open standards, security and scalability. These capabilities provide an exceptional web experience to help you become a social business.

Deliver exceptional web experiences, everywhere:Whether you are engaging with customers, business partners or employees, WebSphere Portal brings together the capabilities you need.

Extend and Reach: Go to where your employees and customers are with multichannel web experiences. No matter what the device – desktop, smart phone or tablet – provide a consistently engaging experience.

Enable social communication, in context: Infuse social communication within context of personalized content and applications; providing social where and when it can most influence communication and productivity.

Extend your business assets: Create and deploy custom-branded, market-driven solutions comprised of existing and net-new business assets. Then re-purpose and reuse as appropriate.

Run your business efficiently: Built on WebSphere software so that enterprise-class applications, processes, and transactions reside on a proven, reliable, scalable, and high-performance foundation.

Grow as you go: Ready to use business-specific capabilities speed time to value and allow you to pursue new market opportunities while reducing the cost of deploying portals.

Comparing IBM WebSphere and Oracle Web Center (note is a comparison from 2010 and there were several improvements for Oracle like, ExaData version 3, new Middleware software release and it compares a scenario that might not be your scenario and you might be better of with either vendors solution, for a realistic comparison and accurate information please contact DBA Consulting):

Here is an example of an Performance Point Dashboard with Insight that helps you to get beyond excel sheets and get an Enterprise wide view for your Dashboard, a step closer to “One version of the Truth for you Enterprise performance figures”

If you still like personal Dashboards in your Excel sheet then here is what is new:

Excel BI

Excel BI provides the capabilities to analyze and visually explore data of any size, and to integrate and show interactive solutions. In SharePoint Server 2013, Excel BI offers certain new features to support business intelligence applications.

These include the following:

•In-Memory BI Engine (IMBI): The In Memory multidimensional data analysis engine (IMBI), also known as the Vertipaq engine, allows for almost instant analysis of millions of rows and is a fully integrated feature in the Excel client.

•Power View Add-in for Excel: Power View ("Crescent") enables users to visualize and interact with modeled data by using highly interactive visualizations, animations and smart querying.. Users can present and share insights with others through rich storyboard presentation capabilities. PowerView is powered by the BI Semantic Model and the VertiPaq engine.

•Decoupled PivotChart and PivotTable reports: Users can now create PivotChart reports without having to include a PivotTable report on the same page.

Excel Services

Excel Services enables people to view and interact with Excel workbooks that have been published to SharePoint sites. Users are able to explore data and conduct analysis in a browser window just as they would by using the Excel client. For more information about Excel Services in Microsoft SharePoint Server 2010, see Excel Services overview (SharePoint Server 2010) on Microsoft TechNet.In SharePoint Server 2013, Excel Services offers certain new features to support business intelligence applications. These include the following:

•Data exploration improvements: People can more easily explore data and conduct analysis in Excel Services reports that use SQL Server Analysis Services data or PowerPivot data models. For example, users can point to a value in a PivotChart or PivotTable report and see suggested ways to view additional information. Users can also use commands such as Drill Down To to conduct analysis. Users can also apply the Drill Down command by using a single mouse click.

•Field list and field well support: Excel Services enables people to easily view and change which items are displayed in rows, columns, values, and filters in PivotChart reports and PivotTable reports that have been published to Excel Services.

•Calculated measures and members: Excel Services supports calculated measures and calculated members that are created in Excel.

•Enhanced timeline controls: Excel Services supports timeline controls that render and behave as they do in the Excel client.

•Business Intelligence Center update: The Business Intelligence Center site template has been streamlined. It not only has a new look, it is easier to use.

PerformancePoint Services

PerformancePoint Services enables users to create interactive dashboards that display key performance indicators (KPIs) and data visualizations in the form of scorecards, reports, and filters. For more information about PerformancePoint Services in SharePoint Server 2010, see PerformancePoint Services overview (SharePoint Server 2010) on Microsoft TechNet.In SharePoint Server 2013, PerformancePoint Services offers certain new features to support business intelligence applications. These include the following:

•Dashboard Migration: Users will be able to copy entire dashboards and dependencies, including the .aspx file, to other users, servers, or site collections. This feature also allows the ability to migrate single items to other environments and migrate content by using Windows PowerShell commands.

•Filter Enhancements & Filter Search: The UI has been enhanced to allow users to easily view and manage filters including giving users the ability to search for items within filters without having to navigate through the tree.

•BI Center Update: The new BI Center is cleaner, and easier to use with folders and libraries configured for easy use.

•Support for Analysis Services Effective User: This new feature eliminates the need for Kerberos delegation when per-user authentication is used for Analysis Services data sources. By supporting Analysis Services Effective User feature, authorization checks will be based on the user specified by the EffectiveUserName property instead of using the currently authenticated user.

•PerformancePoint Support on iPad: PerformancePoint dashboards can now be viewed and interacted with on iPad devices using the Safari web browser.

Visio Services

Visio Services is a service application that lets users share and view Microsoft Visio Drawing (*.vsdx) and Visio 2010 Web drawing (*.vdw) files. The service also enables data-connected Visio Drawing (*.vsdx) and Visio 2010 Web drawing (*.vdw) files.to be refreshed and updated from various data sources.

•Maximum Cache Size: A new service parameter, it is located on the Central Admininstration Visio Graphics Service Application Global Settings page. The default value is 5120 MB.

•Health Analyzer rules: New corresponding Health Analyzer rules have been added to reflect the new Maximum Cache Size parameter.

•Updated Windows PowerShell cmdlets, Set-SPVisioPerformance: This cmdlet has been updated to include the new Maximum Cache Size parameter.

•Commenting on drawings supported: Users can add meaningful comments to a Visio Drawing (*.vsdx) collaboratively on the web via Visio Services in full page rendering mode.

SharePoint is closely integrated with the new online services of Office 365, where you can create your own website quite easily, here is a small video how to do that: